LADY ON A TRAIN

US, 1945, 94 minutes, Black and white.
Deanna Durbin, Ralph Bellamy, David Bruce, George Coulouris, Allen Jenkins, Dan Duryea, Edward Everett Horton, Jacqueline de Wit, Patricia Morison, Elizabeth Patterson, Samuel S. Hinds, William Frawley.
Directed by Charles David.

Lady on a Train is a conventional comedy thriller from the 1940s. What distinguishes it is that it is based on a story by Leslie Charteris who wrote The Saint novels. It also has the presence of Deanna Durbin (who does sing three songs, Silent Night over the phone to her father, Give Me a Little Kiss as well as Cole Porter’s Night and Day). She shows herself a vivacious screen presence – although, a few years later, she was to retire completely from films, go to Paris and not give any more interviews for the rest of her life. She was married at this time to the producer, Felix Jackson. The director of the film was Charles David. She later married Charles David and they were married for forty-eight years until his death in 1999.

The supporting cast is full of recognisable faces, with Dan Duryea expected to be the villain but smiling Ralph Bellamy turning out to be the murderer. There are a lot of character actors, especially with humour and Edward Everett Horton. David Bruce is the romantic hero. Bruce played in many small-budget films from 1940 to 1956 (plus some television), when he retired at the age of forty. He is similar to many of the standard romantic heroes of this period.

The film is conventional enough, Deanna Durbin sees a murder being committed from her train window, she is an heiress and decides to investigate, getting into all kinds of trouble, pretending to be a nightclub singer (which isn’t too difficult), involving David Bruce, a murder mystery writer, getting herself involved with the family of the dead man, and finally making the wrong decision about who was the murderer.

Light stuff, 1940s style – lively but a bit dated.

1. An entertaining murder mystery? The light and comic touch? The musical touches?

2. Black and white photography, Universal Studios in the 1940s? The train, New York City, hotels and rooms, mansions, warehouses? The use of conventional material?

3. The musical score, atmosphere? Deanna Durbin and her singing? Enhancing the film?

4. The introduction to Nikki Collins? Reading the mystery, looking out the window, seeing the murder, her flighty behaviour? With the guards on the train? With meeting Mr Haskell at the station? Her rushing off on her own? Her going to the police, the desk sergeant not believing her? Christmas Eve?

5. Her decision to go to visit Wayne Morgan, as the solver of murder mysteries? The introduction to Wayne, dictating his novel to his secretary, his fiancée arriving, her haughty attitude? His living the scenes, on the floor? Nikki’s arrival, bursting in? His not believing her? Nikki’s pursuit of him, and his fiancée? Their going to the cinema to see the fiancée’s commercial? Nikki and the people in the rows, upset, her talking loudly, trying to get his attention? Seeing the murdered man on the newsreel?

6. Nikki, her interactions with Mr Haskell? Edward Everett Horton’s comedy, dependable, the story of being his wife’s secretary, his black eye because of the radio? The phone calls? Dithering? His coming to Morgan’s house, wanting to find Nikki? His involvement in the solution?

7. Nikki and her going to the mansion, encountering Arnold? Being invited into the reading of the will? The reactions of the family? Arnold and his friendliness? Jonathan even more friendly? Mr Saunders and his antagonism, the manager of the Circus Club, the relationship to Margo? Nikki being mistaken for Margo and carrying on the pretence? Aunt Charlotte and her disapproval? Mr Wiggam and the reading of the will? His involvement?

8. Going to the nightclub, Nikki deceiving Margo, locking her in the cupboard? The flowers from Arnold? Her songs?

9. Back at the hotel, singing Silent Night for her father? Justifying her flightiness?

10. Going to the railway station, investigating?

11. The build-up to the climax? The death of Mr Saunders? At the nightclub, Wayne and his continued interventions? (Nikki ringing from the hotel, pretending that there was a man with a gun, the irony of Danny actually having the gun, stealing the slippers which were the evidence, fighting with Wayne, taking his coat?)

12. At the club, the potential murderers? Their apologising to Nikki? Arnold taking her to the warehouse? His behaviour, talk, pursuit, Nikki hiding? Escaping, encountering Jonathan? His taking her to the room? Her realisation that he was the killer? Wayne arriving, saying the police were with him, their actually being there and Jonathan’s arrest? Arnold as a nice man?

13. The finale, in the train, the discussions between Wayne and Nikki about murder mysteries? The light touch?